Text 24636, 68 rader
Skriven 2006-11-30 17:45:00 av George Vandervort (1:382/8)
  Kommentar till text 24574 av Jean Parrot (1:123/140)
Ärende: Microsoft Restricting Benefits
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Hello Jean!


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Wednesday, November 29, 2006 · Last updated 4:56 p.m. PT

Counterfeiter ordered to pay $9.4m to Microsoft

By TODD BISHOP

A former Battle Ground man was sentenced Wednesday to pay $9.4 million in
restitution to Microsoft Corp. and serve five years in prison for illegal
trafficking in the company's software.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/294093_msftplea29ww.html
  Plea agreement: United States of America v. Scott Laney

Scott Laney, 35, pleaded guilty to money-laundering and counterfeiting
conspiracy charges in a scheme that involved acquiring Microsoft programs at
cut rates -- in some cases from employees who were abusing the company's
internal ordering system -- and reselling them with falsified labels, documents
and licenses that boosted their value.

As part of the case, Laney admitted that he and his co-conspirators sold up to
$20 million of software with counterfeit labeling and licenses. Microsoft
alleged that it lost at least $12.4 million. Symantec Corp. programs also were
illegally resold, according to court papers, although the security software
company didn't claim any restitution.

Tobias Grace, of Vancouver, who was charged with conspiring with Laney, is
scheduled for sentencing Jan. 19.

According to court papers, the two obtained discounted software intended for
computer manufacturers or academic institutions and altered the labels to sell
it near full price. In other cases, they altered the software licenses to allow
for more users, boosting the price.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes had asked for a lengthy sentence against
Laney, citing a U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey estimating that U.S. businesses
lose $200 billion to $250 billion over counterfeiting of products.

Laney's sentence was handed down by Judge Franklin Burgess at the U.S. District
Court in Tacoma. His lawyer, Richard Troberman, couldn't immediately be
reached.

The FBI, IRS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the
case. Grace and Laney were both originally charged in August 2004.

Several former Microsoft employees have separately been charged with taking
advantage of previous loopholes in the company's internal software ordering
system. Microsoft says it has changed its system and procedures to prevent such
abuses.

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Regards,
George Vandervort
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